Rockies closer LaTroy Hawkins joined some elite company Saturday night in Los Angeles when he made his 1,00th big-league appearance. (David Zalubowski, The Associated Press)

LOS ANGELES — The applause inside the visitors’ clubhouse was loud and sustained as the Rockies celebrated closer LaTroy Hawkins late Saturday night.

They also presented him with a signed bottle of Dom Perignon.

And why not? It’s not often that a teammate joins a baseball fraternity that includes the likes of Mariano Rivera, Dennis Eckersley, Hoyt Wilhelm, Trevor Hoffman and Goose Gossage.

The 41-year-old Hawkins made the 1,000th appearance of his major-league career, becoming just the 16th pitcher to hit that magical mark. For the record, he has 124 saves and has pitched 1,428 2/3 innings in his career.

Matt Daley, a key reliever for the Rockies during the 2009 playoff run, will forever be the answer to a trivia question.

Matt Daley has gone from a reliever to the answer to a trivia question. When Mariano Rivera made his last appearance at Yankee Stadium, Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter walked to the mound. What unfolded was one of baseball’s most moving moments in decades, the greatest closer ever sobbing and hugging his longtime teammates for more than two minutes.

Rivera, shaken, eventually slowly walked to the dugout. The right-hander that Pettitte and Jeter signaled for? Daley.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.